Quirky Decor You Can Afford

Your home decor can look like a million bucks but cost you mere dollars. All it takes is a little gluing and sewing to get the job done.

Got extra odd buttons? Sew them onto the front of a plain pillow. Stuck with a few crystals from an old chandelier? Stitch them into a small circle on another plain pillow.

Suddenly, your pillows are unique.

You'll see those kinds of creative -- but frugal -- projects decorating the new Coastal Living magazine Idea House in the East Beach waterfront neighborhood of Norfolk. The 5,000-square-foot home features lavish and practical ways to bring the cottage look into your home, even if your castle has no sand beach out front. You can tour the home now through December.

"There are a lot of unexpected pieces that work well in a coastal home where the decor should not be overdone," says Elizabeth Beeler, decorating editor for the magazine. "It should be simple, especially in a beach house where you may want to walk around in your swimsuit."

Even though the three-story, elevator-equipped house is big and spacious, it still conveys a cozy bungalow feel. Windows and wide porches catch views and breezes from the nearby Chesapeake Bay. A fire pit on the patio keeps guests warm on chilly nights; an outdoor kitchen ensures their stomachs are full.

The interior architecture is done with wide moldings painted white and Mission-style doors stained in cherry. The heart pine floors are planks rescued from warehouses that were being torn down.

The decor is classic elegance, nothing too frilly that would turn you off. Instead of floral and lace, you'll see nontraditional twists such as plain burlap draperies paired with handsome woven wood Roman shades.

And you won't see seashell lamps sitting on every table. In fact, the nautical theme is understated, limited to a few accents such as seashells in containers and roping wrapped in hurricane-style globes holding candles.

You'll also get to see some new and different decorating trends such as area rugs layered on each other -- for instance, a traditional floral wool rug angled across a trendy solid-colored sisal one.

"That's what is popular now, mixing things up so they aren't so predictable," says Beeler. *